Tower will bring cell coverage to most of Neversink

Thursday

Oct 20, 2011 at 2:00 AM

GRAHAMSVILLE — Cellphone service is coming to the Town of Neversink.

Victor Whitman

GRAHAMSVILLE — Cellphone service is coming to the Town of Neversink.

Construction of a cell tower has begun at the top of Thunderhill near Grahamsville — a move the tower developer says will eventually provide coverage to most residents in this eastern Sullivan County town.

Developer Manny Vicente of Homeland Towers said construction began last week and AT&T service should be established by early spring. The tower will be available to all cellphone providers. Verizon has not yet signed on.

"They (Verizon) are interested in the site," Vicente said. "It is just a matter of time before they commit the funding for it."

Vicente said his company has an arrangement with the property owners.

He declined to reveal the investment or financial details about the project.

Vicente said that cellphone providers, in a depressed economy, have been reluctant to invest in rural areas. That's why, he said, it has taken Homeland Towers four years to get a suitable site and to get construction under way.

Vicente said his company will also soon build a cell tower in the Town of Bethel.

While this is a private venture, town officials made changes to its zoning to allow for a tower. Neversink Supervisor Greg Goldstein said cell coverage has been a priority.

Goldstein said the tower could provide coverage to roughly 75 to 80 percent of the areas without coverage. This includes Grahamsville, a hamlet that features a convenience store, bank, post office, offices for New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, town government buildings and emergency departments.

He said coverage should also include the fairgrounds and the Tri-Valley School District.

"The location of this is excellent," Goldstein said. "This is a long time coming and long overdue."

Aside from convenience, the town views the tower as a public safety issue, Goldstein said. People will now be able to use their cellphones to report car accidents or fires, flooding or wires down in storms. There should also be coverage at the Neversink and Grahamsville fire departments.

Only a small portion of Neversink has cellphone coverage. Homeland Towers and AT&T did studies and determined that the Thunder Hill location was the best option.

Still, Neversink's hilly topography means some areas will be left without coverage.